Untitled (two cats in boxing ring wearing gloves) c. 1950

Editor: Here we have an untitled photograph by Jack Gould, showing two cats in a boxing ring wearing gloves. It’s a surreal image, and kind of funny. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a commentary on power dynamics, even violence, made absurd. Consider the historical context, potentially mid-20th century, a period rife with social and political tensions. Is Gould perhaps reflecting the performative nature of conflict? The cats, stripped of their agency, become stand-ins for human struggles. What does it mean to see them mimicking such a masculine activity? Editor: I guess it is a bit of a satire on human behavior when you think about it that way. Curator: Precisely! And the fact that it is absurd forces us to engage with those themes without taking them too seriously. What does this imply? Editor: It highlights how absurd our own conflicts can be! Thanks, that makes a lot of sense.